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Memorable Races

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 2, 2008

Here are five pennant races with a permanent spot in baseball history:

MIRACLE OF COOGAN'S BLUFF

•Season: 1951 (National League)

•The Story: On Aug. 11, the New York Giants were 13 games behind the Brooklyn Dodgers. But the Giants immediately went on a 16-game winning streak - including a three-game sweep of the Dodgers - and the race was on. On the regular season's final day, Brooklyn's Jackie Robinson hit a 14th-inning homer to beat the Phillies, 9-8, setting up a three-game playoff series with the Giants. After a split, the Giants beat the Dodgers 5-4 in Game 3, clinching the NL crown.

•Key Figure: Need you ask? New York's Bobby Thomson blasted possibly the most famous homer in baseball history - a three-run shot off Ralph Branca with one out in the ninth inning. To quote announcer Russ Hodges: "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!"

THE PHOLD

•Season: 1964 (National League)

•The Story: On Sept. 21, the Phillies held a 61/2-game lead with 12 games remaining. That night, the immortal Chico Ruiz inexplicably stole home (with Frank Robinson at the plate) and Phillies pitcher Art Mahaffey, rattled, threw wildly to the plate. It was Cincinnati's only run in a victory against the Phillies. It jump-started a 10-game losing streak by Philadelphia, allowing the St. Louis Cardinals to sneak in and capture the NL pennant.

•Key Figure: Gene Mauch, the Phillies' manager, was blamed for shortening his pitching rotation, using aces Jim Bunning and Chris Short on two days' rest, attempting to halt the losing streak. It didn't work.

THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM

•Season: 1967 (American League)

•The Story: The Red Sox won their first pennant in 21 seasons while coming off a ninth-place finish. They withstood a frantic four-team race. Entering the final day, the Red Sox and Twins were tied - with the Tigers a half-game behind. Boston eliminated Minnesota 5-3. Then the Tigers lost to the Angels 8-5 in the second game of a doubleheader, giving the AL pennant to Boston.

•Key Figure: Red Sox left fielder Carl Yastrzemski, the last player to win the Triple Crown, had 10 hits in his final 13 at-bats.

THE BOSTON MASSACRE

•Season: 1978 (American League East)

•The Story: The Red Sox led the Yankees by 14 games on July 19. Then the Yankees stormed back, registering a four-game sweep at Fenway Park, and took a 31/2-game lead of their own. The Red Sox captured the final eight games of the regular season, forcing a one-game playoff, which the Yankees won, 5-4.

•Key Figure: Bucky Dent, the Yankees' light-hitting shortstop, who smacked a three-run seventh-inning homer off Boston's Mike Torrez in the playoff's ultimate moment.

THE LAST PENNANT RACE

•Season: 1993 (National League West)

•The Story: The Giants led the Braves by 10 games on July 22. But that only started a furious Atlanta stretch drive, fueled by the acquisition of first baseman Fred McGriff. In September, red-hot Atlanta took advantage of San Francisco's eight-game losing streak and pulled ahead by four games. But on the season's final day, the Braves and Giants were tied with identical 103-58 records. The Braves defeated the Rockies 5-3, then watched on the stadium's video screen as the Dodgers hammered the Giants 12-1.

•Key Figure: Salomon Torres, the Giants' rookie pitcher who was selected to start the regular-season finale. Torres was lifted in the fourth inning, trailing 3-0, then the Dodgers teed off on San Francisco's bullpen.

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